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fighting ships of the world

ROYAL NAVY (UNITED KINGDOM)

OTHER FIGHTING SHIPS

'FLY' river gunboats (1915-1916)

Butterfly 1915

Name No Yard No Builder Laid down Launched Comp Fate
ordered 2.1915
Butterfly   1377 Yarrow, Scotstoun / Abadan, Iraq 2.1915 7.1915 11.1915 sold 3.1923
Dragonfly   1379 Yarrow, Scotstoun / Abadan, Iraq 2.1915 7.1915 11.1915 sold 2.1923
Firefly   1380 Yarrow, Scotstoun / Abadan, Iraq 2.1915 7.1915 11.1915 captured by Turkey 1.12.1915-2/1917 (Selmanpak); sunk 14.6.1924
Cranefly   1378 Yarrow, Scotstoun / Abadan, Iraq 2.1915 8.1915 12.1915 sold 3.1923
Mayfly   1384 Yarrow, Scotstoun / Abadan, Iraq 2.1915 8.1915 12.1915 sold 3.1923
Sawfly   1385 Yarrow, Scotstoun / Abadan, Iraq 2.1915 8.1915 12.1915 sold 3.1923
Gadfly   1381 Yarrow, Scotstoun / Abadan, Iraq 2.1915 8.1915 12.1915 to Air Ministry 1922
Greyfly   1383 Yarrow, Scotstoun / Abadan, Iraq 2.1915 8.1915 12.1915 to War Department 1923
Snakefly   1386 Yarrow, Scotstoun / Abadan, Iraq 2.1915 9.1915 12.1915 sold 3.1923
Stonefly   1387 Yarrow, Scotstoun / Abadan, Iraq 2.1915 9.1915 12.1915 sold 3.1923
Waterfly   1388 Yarrow, Scotstoun / Abadan, Iraq 2.1915 9.1915 12.1915 sold 2.1923
Greenfly   1382 Yarrow, Scotstoun / Abadan, Iraq 2.1915 9.1915 12.1915 sold 3.1923
ordered 12.1915
Blackfly   1400 Yarrow, Scotstoun / Abadan, Iraq 12.1915 4/1916 1916 collision 26.5.1923
Caddisfly   1401 Yarrow, Scotstoun / Abadan, Iraq 12.1915 4.1916 1916 sold 2.1923
Hoverfly   1402 Yarrow, Scotstoun / Abadan, Iraq 11.1915 4.1916 1916 sold 2.1923
Sedgefly   1403 Yarrow, Scotstoun / Abadan, Iraq 11.1915 9.1916 1916 sold 3.1923

 

Displacement normal, t

98

Displacement full, t

 

Length, m

38.4

Breadth, m

6.10

Draught, m

0.61

No of shafts

1 in tunnel

Machinery

1 VTE, 1 Yarrow boiler

Power, h. p.

175

Max speed, kts

9.5

Fuel, t

coal 5 + oil 10

Endurance, nm(kts)  

Armament

1 x 1 - 102/40 BL Mk VIII, 1 x 1 - 76/40 12pdr 12cwt QF Mk I/II, 1 x 1 - 57/40 6pdr Hotchkiss Mk I or 1 x 1 - 47/40 3pdr Hotchkiss Mk I or 1 x 1 - 40/39 2pdr QF Mk II, (4 - 5) x 1 - 7.7/94

Complement

22

Project history: In February 1915 the Admiralty ordered 12 river gunboats from Messrs Yarrow for operations on the Tigris and Euphrates, but to camouflage their destination they were known as 'China gunboats'. The design was based on Yarrow's earlier river craft, with a single screw operating in a tunnel, using the Yarrow patent flap to prevent the tunnel from being emptied by the wash of another vessel. Another four vessels were ordered in December. The first dozen were laid down in February 1915, then dismantled and re-erected at Abadan on the Persian Gulf, being sent out in July-September 1915. The last four were laid down in December 1915 and sent out in April-September 1916.

Modernizations: None.

Naval service: They were retained only briefly after the Armistice, but continued to serve on the Tigris and Euphrates under new ownership, some retaining a para-military role. Firefly entered service in November 1915 and was captured by the Turks during the advance on Baghdad on 1 December 1915. Recaptured on 26 February 1917, she was finally sunk on the Euphrates by insurgents 14 June 1924. Gadfly was transferred to the Air Ministry at Basra 1922, and Grayfly transferred to the War Department 1923. Blackfly was lost in collision with a bridge at Baghdad 26 May 1923 while on loan to Air Ministry. The remainder were sold locally in 1923.

Sedgefly

Many thanks to Wolfgang Stöhr for additional information on this page.

© Ivan Gogin, 2008-13